Café Haití

The first time I went to Santiago on a business trip, my colleagues took me to Café Haiti. I was unpleasantly jet lagged and pleasantly culture shocked, and I had no idea why we were making a special trip for coffee. Café Haiti was apparently one of the first coffee shops where the waitresses were the star of the show and were dressed in the most incredibly short uniforms. If the caffeine didn’t wake me up, the women serving it did. The coffee was really good and much stronger than anything I was used to in the US. I was told that quite a few imitators had cropped up after I left and there was some sort of a competition in the uniforms of the various baristas. Not all of the new coffee shops were supposed to be as classy as Café Haiti, which somehow combined skin, humor, and taste in a way that I don’t think would have worked at home in the US.
A few years later, some of my Chilean friends came to the United States and I took them to Maine for fresh lobster. I hope they enjoyed the lobster as much as I enjoyed Café Haiti. I give Café Haiti four stars because it was such a wonderful introduction to a country that I miss very much.

El café Haiti es un clásico, tal vez el mas clásico de los cafés en Santiago. Por sus barras han pasado, como ellos bien dicen, desde políticos hasta artistas y es que si vives en Chile, por lo menos una vez debes tomarte un cafecito parado al lado de sus barras.
Su nombre proviene del noble del Café de origen italiano que aterrizo a este lado del mundo hace décadas, en su carta siempre podrás encontrar un espresso, un ristretto, u cortadito todo para llenarte de energía y casi al paso.
La experiencia se completa cuando eres atendido por guapas mujeres de trajes apretados que con una sonrisa siempre te sirven el café mas rico.
Los precios son económicos pero ojo que este no es un café para tomar asiento y pedir la clave wi-​fi, aquí se toma el café paradito y de preferencia rápido, perfecto para un pequeño break energético durante la mañana o a media tarde.

When I first came to Chile I did not know that café con piernas existed… it actually took me a month to figure it out (probably because of the language barrier). So one day I am in the centro getting paperwork filed for my visa when I pass by this Café. There were a lot of older men in business suits outside as well as men inside talking to the baristas.
I had never quite seen a café like this, but I thought it was for business men in a hurry who wanted a café. I didn’t even think much about the women wearing skin-​tight short dresses at the time, except «their bosses let them wear that to work?!» (turns out their bosses made them wear that…)
Regardless, I bought my coffee (despite the stares I got) and I drank my coffee quickly and got out of there. Before I did however, I asked for a bathroom but they had made it clear there was only one for men… no bathroom for women.
After explaining my extremely strange and sexist experience to a friend he explained to me about café con piernas and why there were so many business men.
If you are looking for a «real» café con pierna experience I would not recommend Café Haiti, as it is very «clean all family fun» type of café con piernas. However, if you want a quick café that is good quality you should come, (but go to the bathroom first).

La hermana chica de un amigo trabaja en este café me contó que las propinas son re buenas, yo estuve cesante un tiempo considerable y créanme que lo pensé. Estos cafés a diferencia de los otro «cafés con piernas» santiaguinos están bien valorados en general, atienden mujeres jóvenes adultas y con una minifalda piola, pero igual ajustada.
Las niñas que atienden las mesas afuera andan vestidas de negro con jeans y polera, algo piola, nada escandaloso. Es grato pasar a tomarse un cafecito después de la pega, yo lo he hecho y nadie te mira raro.
Las veces que pasaba por las calles de Santiago en la mañana el puro olorcito me despertaba ¡Qué rico! Me encanta ese aroma del café de grano. Cada vez estos cafés amplían más su público objetivo, aunque por lo general van señores mayores con el Mercurio bajo el brazo. El otro día vi entrar a un caballero con su esposa, creo yo que era su esposa.
Me gusta la diversidad de la gente, me gusta pensar que vamos creciendo, pero más me gusta el café, me da igual si es con piernas. Creo que hubo alguna vez uno que atendían jóvenes esculturales y era para mujeres, o parece que aún existe, no lo sé, pero averiguaré y les cuento.